The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1887-06-08
TIMELY TOPICS FOR FARMERS
HOW TO DO rAYING WORK At THIS
SEASON.
Suggestions of Interest. from an A";hori-
ta+ivc Source.

ta.ivc Source.
tW.L.J Jones in Southern Cultivator)
Having finished planting the mali
crops and got them well under way, th'
work of continued cultivation viii 40
sorb most Of the time and Sttentlcn O
the farmer. If the seasons during May
in any given section, have been propltl
Gus, the main object in view in cultlvat
ing the crop viii be to keep the surface
soil in Light, friable condition. Ine IN
thinking laDcrer conceives that tie che
end of plowing and hoeing is TO prevent
the weeds from choking the crop. Ic
such man (perhaps there are many
such) the grass and weeds are blessing
in disguise-compelling him to give the
cultivation which would be needed, ever
in the absence OF such blessing. DecE
plowing OF growing crops IS not nov IL
order, excepting, OF course, late-pianteo
fields not before well plowed. We want
to induce moderately rapid and health
full growth OF the stalks of corn and cot,
ton. Therefore the roots Of the plants
should not be torn and broken more
than is absolutely necessary. The upper
inch or two of the soil should be kept
open and loose. The crust which Iorms
after rain prevents the easy access OF
the air above-laden with plant tood IL
the form of carbonic acid and nltrogen-
and should be broken as often as may
be found expedient, not less than once
in every ten days or two weeks. IGe
layer of soft mellow soil that IS lett be-
hind the cultivating implement acts very
decidly as mulching to the layer below
in which the roots are penetrating III
every direction. Such layer OF loose
soil is a poor conductor Of heat and
therefore protects the roots Of the crop
from the too fervid and scorchlnS rays
of the sun; and the interstices arc not
fine and close enough to act as capI!arles
in bringing up the moisture from the
soil about the roots to be evaporated and
lost, rs would be the case If the crust
were permitted to remain unolstuf5ed.
It should be the aim, therefore, to go
over crop as rapidly as possible alter a
good season OF rain and to keep the sur
face as constantly as possible IL this
loose, open condition. How often a
crop should be ploEed over is, asalready
Limited, a question Of expediency. V hhe
it is true that crop growing Oh POOR
land but lightly fertllized will receive a
greater ratio of benefit from frequent
and thorough cultivation than I crcp
growing on rich or well-fertllizeG SOIL,
yet it pays best to give the naturally s:ch
or the highly fertilzed land the prefer
ence-the best and most frequent cu!tl-
vation. We donbt not there are many
fields already planted that would give
better returns Cess loss II they should
receive no cultivation at al.
RAPID CULTIVATION.
The implements used IL the South in
cultyating the crops are generally de-
fecti7e in the respect that they are too
snall-they do not get over the crop East
enough. 4 ight-ruDning y to IS inch
sweep does not fully tax the capacity OF
q stout mule to say nothing OF the smaller
shovel and scooter, still so much used.
The Southern farmer does not fully ap-
preciate the advantages Of wide spread
ing cultivators and harrows. Among the
number of expanding, adjustable cult
vators, on wheels or otherwise, that are
so generally used in the North and West,
we ought TO be able to find one tha: will
answer our purpose better than the
sweep and heel-scrape. A cotton middle
should be cleaned out and stirred from
row to row at one through trip-a corn
row at not more than two. There is GER
tainly an unnecessary consumption OF
time and travel when from seven to hire
furrows are given to each three-foot cot
ton row, in the course Of the season, as
is usually done, employing the time OF
an abie-bodied hand and mule.
Several years ago, while watching the
blowing of field Of cotton with 24-inch
sweeps-tWo burrows to the middle-we
were struck with the fact that, in making
the return, or second furrow, the big
sweep was doing substantially little more
original work than might have been done
by three-inch garden hoe. The greater
part Of the cutting edge OF the sweep was
tapping over and passing along the Inr'
row run Just few moments before. Ic
remedy this on the spot We dilected tne
plowman 10 side "by the row, ana skip
every other row. e. SIDE bot;l sides q
every ether row. The result vas 3 g&ll
OF Just one-ialf the time, ana doing the
work--so far as merely stirring tne sol
was concerne.I-slriost as perfectly rs ]!
two burrows had been run n e.cl mid
de. THIS saving CT time laaGe il poss:'
bic to stir the soll-practlcGly y tie ens!rt
surface-twice as oiseE as before viii
precisely the same l.bo.. Of coulsc a
the next blowing the rows not s!dcd &c
fore received the special attention. tns
others being left. We were so pleasec
with the plan that it Was adopted rs
permanent resort, especially when II VIZ:
desirable. to so over tie crop very rapid
ly, as Immediately after heavy ran
The principle involved is more or les
applicable to the cultivation Of wide:
rows, and the plan mag be modified 0:
suspended according to circumstances
1t IS equally applicable to any Of tht
cultvators which Go not straddle tn
row so as to plow both sides of it. Al
implement designed to run astride In
rows and side both sides perfectly IS
desideratum in the earlier stages OF tn
crop. But in the absence OF such q cul
tiyator the plan above detailed viii oite'
be found very expedient. The time
honored rule Of plowing over tie crol
every three weeks has but little to re
commend it except its observance Wi